Sri Lanka rejects dialogue appeal
[BBC]
The Sri Lankan government has rejected a call by international donors for Tamil Tiger rebels to negotiate terms of surrender with the government. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the BBC that the government would accept only “unconditional surrender”. The US-led donors have urged the Tigers to consider laying down their arms to avoid further bloodshed after a series of major defeats on the battlefield. Fears are rising for tens of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting.